Aaron Rodgers reiterates plan to remain with Packers into his 40s

Posted by Mike Florio on May 20, 2018, 1:28 PM EDT

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As the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers continue to be locked in a mildly awkward standoff over whether and when his contract will be extended, Rodgers recently made it clear that he intends to stay with the Packers beyond his 40th birthday.

“It’s sustained greatness I think is what drives me,” Rodgers said recently at the Wisconsin High School Sports Awards, via Aaron Nagler of PackersNews.com. “It’s to be the best and to be able to choose when I’m done playing.I think as you’ve seen here recently with Jordy [Nelson] but even you go back a few years to whether it’s Julius Peppers or A.J. Hawk or John Kuhn or Brett Favre, the fairy tale ending of starting a career and ending it with the same organization rarely happens. So that’s kind of my goal, is to be able to be indispensable to this organization into my 40s to where you’ve got to keep me around.”

That sounds a lot like the same thing that motivates Patriots quarterback Tom Brady: Playing beyond 40 while staying with his one and only team, and performing so well that the team would never have the temptation or necessity to make a business/football decision to move on.

Favre brought it on himself by musing about retirement to the point where the Packers picked Rodgers in 2005, three years before Favre was nudged into a short-lived retirement. Rodgers hasn’t, and apparently won’t be, sending similar signals. Which means that, if/when a change is made before Rodgers is ready to retire, it will be the decision of the Packers, and no one else.

I hope he plays well into his 40s. Everyone is trying to compare Aaron with Brady, both are good QBs but the huge difference is their coaches. You put Brady on the packers with McCarthy and I dont think the packers would make the playoffs. You put Rodgers on the pats and he would be rolling off Super Bowl wins. So hopefully the pack keep Rodgers and McCarthy together for many one and done teams.

If he does play into his 40’s he will have more Hardware and screws in him than Home Depot!
We will see a drop in his stats, now he will be just an VG QB instead of ELITE, no more of those 70 yard Hail Mary passes. In the next 5 years Arthritis will be creeping into that repaired shoulder. I know, I had the same surgery, Mine was due to an accident at work…well I guess his was too.
For a fact he will not have the arm strength, especially toward the end of the season and later in those 45 pass attempt Games. If the Packers are smart they will work on their running game.

streetyson says:
May 20, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Rodgers’ contract demands will deny him playing that long, but until we see him in week 1 with that reconstructed shoulder
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Reconstructed shoulder? When did this happen? Guy broke a collar bone – his shoulder joint wasnt affected. Happens all the time. Now he has both repaired collar bones stronger than the original. After recovery from the previous he followed that with an MVP caliber season. Guy is a health nut. He could easily play into his 40’s if he desires. And what does his contract have to do with him not playing longer? Baffling post.

Kingthi, no offense but somehow I doubt that you put in the rehab work that Rodgers has done and will continue to do. Working out is the job for pro athletes these days and most of them are very serious about it.

The Packers will either give Rodgers a percentage of the cap to keep him happy (and eat their cap space) or cut him in two years after this contract ends, at which point all the cheese eaters will turn on him.

Honest post here. Nobody should redo a contract with 2 years remaining and I don’t care who the player is. He signed it, don’t sign 7 year deals if you don’t want the market to fly by you. The Packers don’t owe him anything just because the media thinks they do. Let him play out this year and see where everyone is at next year.

cabosan1978 says:
May 20, 2018 at 2:21 pm
streetyson says:
May 20, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Rodgers’ contract demands will deny him playing that long, but until we see him in week 1 with that reconstructed shoulder
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Reconstructed shoulder? When did this happen? Guy broke a collar bone – his shoulder joint wasnt affected. Happens all the time. Now he has both repaired collar bones stronger than the original. After recovery from the previous he followed that with an MVP caliber season. Guy is a health nut. He could easily play into his 40’s if he desires. And what does his contract have to do with him not playing longer? Baffling post.

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I agree with you on the shoulder vs collar bone and see no reason to think any injuries incurred thus far should have any effect on him going forward. I also agree he works hard and if his body holds up (cue the jokes about the tb12 method) he will be a force into his 40’s. But yes the contract comes into it because if he is demanding to get the next top paid qb in history trophy (which never lasts, just becomes a new benchmark) that is indeed going to hamsting the front office from being able to put a team around him. Its not just a Packers thing, these mega contracts have teams putting to many eggs in one basket leaving then vulnerable to the teams that havent gotten into that stuff yet. If he really wants a ring he needs to be able to be happy with a decent (well deserved because he is all that) contract but not a bank breaker.

Good for him, it wont be in my stadium so best of luck getting him another championship before the musics over.

More importantly, and the question I still havent heard asked, how’re those 13 screws holding up? You know, the same thing happened to Romo and that shortened his career… Not trying to start a troll war, just curious what the status is

The guy plays nothing like Brady and acts nothing like Brady off the field (although, they may be comparable in fitness and health habits).

The question I might ask is if their next head coach (as an NFL fan, not just a Viking fan, I don’t think McCarthey will be around for too many more years) and freshly minted GM will be willing to put up with this passive aggressive remarks and poor sportsmanship in be coming years. Especially if he doesn’t ink a new deal within the next 14 months.

I can’t stand the guy’s attitude and personality, but obviously my opinion is biased. Hell of a quarterback, though.

Pretty much a myth that a healed broken bone is somehow stronger than a bone that was never broken.

“Brady never had to change his game when he got older. ”

That’s not true he most certainly has changed his game. Among other things if he sees he’s going to get hit and has no open receiver he goes down and avoids the worst of it. It’s smart to do so as many QBs are injured on meaningless plays where there was nowhere for them to throw or run. Picking up that extra 1/4 or 1/2 yard trying to run has ruined quite a few QBs careers.

Catch 22 here. You make a deal now and set the course of Rogers playing for the Packers or you wait till his contract is up and hope you have the money to pay him later along with everyone else. I think the people who ran the Packers were pretty thrifty, while the current people running it are being more aggressive. The Packers defense is actually being addressed. Those guys need to get paid too.

screamingyellowzonkers says:
May 20, 2018 at 6:11 pm
If Rodgers wants a shot at the top 5 in all time passing stats, he will have to play into his 40s.
Right now he isn’t even in the top 15 in TD passes or passing yards.

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He lost too many years on the bench behind Brett Favre. That isn’t Aaron’ fault – purely circumstantial.

What’s with the hate? I like Rodgers. He’s a straight-up, self-confident, intelligent guy that tells it like it is. He’s not full of himself, he’s border-line humble, and he goes out of his way to be diplomatic. Family issues? Maybe they’re the issue. I don’t know, but I know for certain…..you don’t know. Packer-hating trolls will find any possible way to twist his words and the truth to fit their agenda. Screw them. He’s one of the good guys. Enough already.

Fairly shallow argument for determining a single player’s greatness in a team game.
Using your math, I guess Marv Fleming would have to be the NFL’s greatest TE.
In fact he carried 2 separate franchises (Green Bay and Miami) to 5 Super Bowls, collecting 4 rings.
You know, math and all that.

Liberalsruineverything says:
May 20, 2018 at 2:43 pm
Honest post here. Nobody should redo a contract with 2 years remaining and I don’t care who the player is. He signed it, don’t sign 7 year deals if you don’t want the market to fly by you. The Packers don’t owe him anything just because the media thinks they do. Let him play out this year and see where everyone is at next year.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No one said a thing about “redoing” his contract. It would be an extension, which means added on to the end of his current deal……big difference.

Fairly shallow argument for determining a single player’s greatness in a team game.
Using your math, I guess Marv Fleming would have to be the NFL’s greatest TE.
In fact he carried 2 separate franchises (Green Bay and Miami) to 5 Super Bowls, collecting 4 rings.
You know, math and all that.

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Name a statistic that is not a team statistic? Every play requires an entire team to execute so you cannot argue that “some” stats are individual and “some” are team-based.

In the end QB’s get the most credit (and debit) for how at team performs as he is the leader of the offense. A good QB can also get other players to rise to the occasion. Just look at how the 49ers played once Jimmy G took over last season. His stats themselves were not exceptional, but he made everyone around him better….he gave the entire team confidence. In some ways this may be the most important attribute and it does not show up at all in the stats.

flviking says:
May 20, 2018 at 1:44 pm
I hope he plays well into his 40s. Everyone is trying to compare Aaron with Brady, both are good QBs but the huge difference is their coaches.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Couldn’t agree more. Rodgers is a truly great QB that can do it all. Brady is a product of his environment, the definition of a system QB.

screamingyellowzonkers says:
May 20, 2018 at 6:11 pm
If Rodgers wants a shot at the top 5 in all time passing stats, he will have to play into his 40s.
Right now he isn’t even in the top 15 in TD passes or passing yards.
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JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 20, 2018 at 8:41 pm
flviking says:
May 20, 2018 at 1:44 pm
I hope he plays well into his 40s. Everyone is trying to compare Aaron with Brady, both are good QBs but the huge difference is their coaches.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Couldn’t agree more. Rodgers is a truly great QB that can do it all. Brady is a product of his environment, the definition of a system QB.

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If by “can do it all” you mean win 1 SB like Trent Dilfer the yes you are correct

I don’t believe Rodgers has the longevity or competitive fire of Brady. His short passing game is also not as good. Brady is more strategic and surgical. You won’t see as many highlight reel Hail Marys from Brady, but that’s not what wins championships. Brady beat two teams — the Falcons and Seahawks — for SB wins that bested Rodgers in the NFC playoffs the same years.

I worry more about the QBs on the rise (Wentz, Goff, Garropollo) then I do about those on the decline. Vikings will win the division for the third time in four years and continue to dominate the North. Chicago and Detroit worry me more as they actually improved in the off season.

Packers don’t have much of a team. Trade Rodgers for a one and two next year and a third the following. Use your two ones and twos to get a young stud qb and some linebackers pass rushers and voila, in one season your back in style.

If Tom adds 50% more to his team issued pay check he’s only making one million a year less than Rogers. Pay check to pay check Tom is starting to see everyone is getting paid except him and time is running out.

You put Brady on the packers with McCarthy and I dont think the packers would make the playoffs. You put Rodgers on the pats and he would be rolling off Super Bowl wins.
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This stuff is sooo tiresome. You can’t prove one iota of this and more to the point, WHO CARES?
If Michael Jordan had been drafted by the Utah Jazz or Joe Montana had been drafted by the Lions would they’ve had the same career?
Again, WHO CARES?
It is what it is.

Its sad that this is unfolding the EXACT same way Favres career wound down.

Saddled with an average coach, talented teams, but not truly great.

I think the best thing Rodgers could do for himself is play out his contract, and see if he wants to re-sign after 2019. Put pressure on the franchise to be great at that point. Otherwise, see which is the best opportunity to win another Title elsewhere.

.. and if Kurt Warner is a HOF’r, Rodgers is already as well. Even if he never plays another down.
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Of course he cares about it. If you don’t believe that, you are drunk on the cheese kool aide.

There is no doubt Rodgers is getting in. It’s a PR driven honor. Warner works in the media.
Testeverde and Kreig have better numbers and they aren’t in.